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Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English international footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Liverpool F.C. Gerrard has spent his entire career at Liverpool since making his professional debut in 1998 and is widely regarded as one of the finest players to have played for the Anfield club. He was made Liverpool captain in 2003 by Gerard Houllier and has held the armband ever since. Under his captaincy, Liverpool have won the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and finished as runners-up in the Premier League. Gerrard has been heavily influential in almost every honour Liverpool has won whilst he has been part of the team. He has racked up over 600 appearances and scored over 150 goals during his career so far. As a result of these feats, plus the fact that Gerrard is a "local lad" having been born in Merseyside, Gerrard is depicted as one of Liverpool's greatest footballing icons. Liverpool career Gerrard was brought to Liverpool at the age of nine having been spotted by Liverpool scouts playing for his local side Whiston Juniors. Gerrard failed to achieve much success or recognition in his early days with the Academy, however he still earned trials with other clubs at the age of 14. One club Gerrard trialled with was Manchester United, however Gerrard has later claimed that this was a ploy by himself to pressure Liverpool into offering him a professional contract. As a younger Academy player initially aiming to achieve success in a defensive midfield role, he was often overlooked as a top prospect due to his lack of height- being the same height as Michael Owen at the age of 15, however he experienced a significant growth spurt in his mid-late teenage years which would ultimately help take his career of the ground, but was also the source of various injury problems that would plague his early years as a professional. Injuries restricted Gerrard to a bit-part role for the Academy and Reserve sides during his football development, however despite this, he earned himself a professional contract on 5 November 1997. A year later, on 29 November 1998, manager Gerard Houllier handed Gerrard his first-team debut for Liverpool, with the youngster coming on as a 90th minute substitute for Vegard Heggem in a 2-0 League victory at home to Blackburn. Injuries to midfielder and then-captain Jamie Redknapp gave Gerrard the opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the first-team, however this would be in a more advanced role than the more defensively-minded Gerrard was used to. Gerrard played 12 more times in the 1998-99 season, which included a European debut in a 1-0 home defeat to Spanish side Celta Vigo on 8 December 1998, however he was unable to make a notable impact on the team as he later reflected "I was out of position and out of my depth." Gerrard was also still struggling with persistent groin and back complaints- lingering consequences of his teenage growth spurt. Despite these uncertain beginnings, the Liverpool management had seen enough to be sufficiently convinced Gerrard had what it took to succeed, and he entered the 1999-2000 season as a regular starter, partnering Jamie Redknapp in midfield. After starting the first eight games of the campaign, Gerrard was dropped for the Merseyside Derby match against Everton on 27 September 1999 in favour of Dietmar Hamann. Gerrard came on for Robbie Fowler with Liverpool trailing 1-0 and both teams down to 10 men, however he was sent off in the 90th minute for a studs-up, knee-high challenge on Everton striker Kevin Campbell. Gerrard was suspended for three matches. He came back from his suspension strong however, and netted his first Liverpool goal on 5 December 1999 in a 4-1 home League win over Sheffield Wednesday (below). The goal was a memorable one as he picked the ball up in midfield, danced through the Sheffield defence before drilling a low shot into the corner of the net. Gerrard continued to feature regularly for the team for the remainder of the season, being used as a utility player as he filled in a variety of positions, including both right and left back and right wing. He was still however being hampered by groin and back problems. Gerrard completed the 1999-2000 season with 31 appearances and the one goal he netted against Sheffield Wednesday. Whilst the 1999-2000 season had been in many ways a breakthrough season for Gerrard, the 2000-01 season saw Gerrard firmly establish himself as one of football's brightest young stars. The season was highly successful for Liverpool as they won a treble of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Gerrard made 50 starts for Liverpool during the campaign, which included each of the cup finals (he played the duration of all bar the League Cup Final). He also netted 10 strikes, one of which came in the UEFA Cup Final. Gerrard had grown into his more offensive role during the season and operated as a true box-to-box midfielder. He capped his memorable season with the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Gerrard continued to progress in the 2001-02 season as Liverpool finished runners-up in the Premier League. The season also marked Gerrard's first participation in the Champions League. His Champions League debut came on 8 August 2001 away to FC Haka of Finland, a game which Liverpool won 5-0. He made his 100th appearance for Liverpool on 11 September 2001 in a 1-1 home tie against Portuguese side Boavista in the Champions League. In the 2002-03 season, Gerrard helped Liverpool to more silverware as he scored Liverpool's first goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the 2003 League Cup Final. The goal was a long range strike that took a deflection, which caused it to loop high over United 'keeper Fabian Barthez (below). Earlier on in the season, Gerrard was appointed vice-captain to Sami Hyypia as his influence and prowess in the side grew. Gerrard finished the season with seven goals in 54 games On 28 September 2003, Gerrard made his 200th Liverpool appearance in a 3-2 away League defeat to Charlton Athletic. Shortly after, on 15 October 2003, in what was described as a "shock move," Gerrard- having been vice-captain for about a year- was promoted to club captain by Gerard Houllier, with Sami Hyypia taking the vice captaincy. Upon taking the armband, Gerrard stated: "I was captain of my school side and I used to go along to Anfield to watch the team and I always looked up to people like John Barnes who captained the team during the 90s. I used to watch Barnes with the captain's armband and dream that one day it would be me captaining the team I love." The move was controversial, due to Gerrard's age- being only 23 years old at the time, and the popularity and success of Hyypia's tenure, however Houllier justified his decision, stating: "I think Stevie has certain leadership qualities which I spotted very early in his career. When he was young, all he needed was time to mature. Now he is 23 and he is ready. There has been a maturing in his game and his personality." In November 2003, Gerrard signed a new contract at the club which tied him down until 2007. The 2003-04 season was a disappointing one for Liverpool, who failed to win any silverware and finished fourth in the League. The shortcomings of the season saw the resignation of Gerard Houllier, who had been highly instrumental in Gerrard's development at Liverpool. In the summer of 2004, Gerrard was linked with a big-money move to the newly-wealthy Chelsea. Gerrard conceded that he was not "happy with the progress Liverpool has made", and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on." However after holding talks with new manager Rafael Benitez, Gerrard decided to stay at Anfield, and stated "I've gone with my heart. I've made a decision to stay at Liverpool and I am 100% committed to the club." For the 2004-05 season, Gerrard was presented with the number 8 shirt- the shirt number he has worn ever since. The season began with a spell on the sidelines for Gerrard, as a foot injury sustained on 20 September 2004 in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United kept him out of action until November. Upon his return, Gerrard made possibly his most dramatic contribution in a Red shirt yet. On 8 December 2004, Liverpool were playing their final game of the Champions League group stage. They were hosting Olympiakos and were required to win by a two-goal margin to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. Having gone 1-0 down in the first half, Liverpool equalised and then went 2-1 up in the 80th minute. In the 86th minute- four minutes from elimination from the competition- Gerrard received a knock down from Neil Mellor outside the box. Gerrard rifled a shot into the bottom corner of the net to send his side through to the next round (below). Liverpool's League form was underwhelming however the season was proving successful in the cup competitions. Gerrard scored the only goal in both legs of Liverpool's League Cup semi-final tie with Watford, however he faced the disappointment of netting an own goal that helped Chelsea beat the Reds in the final. Liverpool had gone 1-0 up early in the match, however Gerrard misjudged his defensive header from a Chelsea free kick and equalised for Chelsea. This sent the game into extra time, which Chelsea ultimately won 3-2. Despite this, and despite Liverpool only finishing fifth in the League, Gerrard's season ended on a huge high. Liverpool reached the Champions League Final against AC Milan in Istanbul. Milan raced to a first half 3-0 lead, however Liverpool came out in the second half rejuvinated with Gerrard pushing his team forward. Gerrard netted a well-executed header to pull the score back to 3-1. After Vladimir Smicer scored a second for Liverpool, Gerrard charged into the Milan box where he was felled by Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso to win his side a penalty. Xabi Alonso's spot kick was saved however he netted the rebound to tie the match. Liverpool went on to win on penalties with Gerrard being named man-of-the-match. He would also later claim the UEFA Club Player of the Year award. It was from this game that the Liverpool fans began to tag him with the nickname 'Captain Fantastic.' Despite Gerrard ignoring Chelsea's attentions the year before, speculation persevered that Gerrard was destined for a move to the Blues. Rumours were rife that Gerrard had contractual issues with Liverpool, however when pressed on the issue after claiming the Champions League trophy, Gerrard proclaimed "How can I leave after a night like this?" However, negotiations on a new contract at Liverpool stalled. With Chelsea having a large offer for Gerrard rejected by the club, on 5 June 2005, Gerrard rejected a £100,000 per week contract offer from Liverpool seemingly with the desire to push through a move to the Premier League champions. Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry publicly stated Gerrard was leaving: "Now we have to move on. We have done our best, but he has made it clear he wants to go and I think it looks pretty final." However, the next day Gerrard made a U-turn and signed the four-year contract on offer from Liverpool. Of the situation, Gerrard later reflected: "Madness broke out. I was sitting dazed at home, watching the TV, and when I saw fans burning an old No 17 shirt by the Shankly Gates, it did my head in. Show some respect. Don't you know how this is tearing me apart? Dad begged me not to go, but I replied, 'look at the TV, fans are burning my shirt, the club aren't stopping them, Liverpool don't want me any more'. I stared at the TV through flowing tears. I was suffocated by stress. My head was banging, and I was eating paracetamol like Smarties. I could see the great possibilities of Chelsea, but my heart wouldn't let me leave. Finally, my mind was made up. At 11pm that night, on July 5, 2005, I called my agent to tell Rick Parry (Liverpool's chief executive) that I wanted to sign. My heart stopped racing, and I put the paracetamol away. The following morning, I awoke with a smile on my face for the first time in weeks." With his future finally sorted, Gerrard went from strength to strength in the 2005-06 season. He scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 25 October 2005 in a 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace in the League Cup. He then made his 300th appearance for the club on 5 November 2005 in a 2-0 away League win against Aston Villa, with Gerrard also netting an 84th minute penalty in the game. He completed the season with 23 goals in 53 games, and was Liverpool's top scorer in every competition. He was named PFA Player of the Year in April, becoming the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to win the award. As with the season before, Gerrard capped the season with a memorable Cup final performance- this time in the FA Cup on 13 May 2006. Liverpool's opponents were West Ham and, with Liverpool the heavy favourites, West Ham took a surprise 2-0 lead early in the first half. Liverpool pulled a goal back when Gerrard launced a high, raking ball from the half way line over into the West Ham box that found the the foot of Djibril Cisse to bring Liverpool back into the match. Gerrard then brought the score level with a fierce short-range volley into the top corner, however Paul Konchesky later restored the Hammers' lead. With Liverpool still trailing in injury time and staring at an unlikely defeat, Gerrard collected a loose ball 30 yards out and arrowed a fierce shot into the bottom corner of the net (below). The goal is often recalled as Gerrard's finest, and it sent the match into extra time. Liverpool ultimately won the tie on penalties. Gerrard's goals in the match also meant that he had netted in all major cup finals (League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League). In the 2006-07 season, Gerrard again amassed over 50 appearances and netted 11 goals in all competitions. The season culminated in yet another major cup final as Liverpool again made the final of the Champions League- again against AC Milan. This time however Gerrard would be unable to perform the same heroics that had seen him drag his Liverpool side to the 2005 Champions League and 2006 FA Cup titles as Liverpool lost 2-1. In the summer of 2007, Gerrard again signed a new four-year contract with Liverpool. At the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Gerrard experienced an injury scare as he suffered a hairline toe fracture on 15 August 2007 in a game against Toulouse. The injury only kept him out for four days however, and Gerrard went on to make his 400th Liverpool appearance on 28 October 2007 in a 1-1 home League tie against Arsenal, with Gerrard netting Liverpool's goal. In the summer of 2007, Liverpool had signed Spanish striker Fernando Torres who Gerrard quickly struck up a fruitful partnership with. The two paired famously and netted a combined 54 goals- 21 of which were netted by Gerrard. Despite this Gerrard failed to lead his side to a Cup final, and Liverpool were only able to make 4th place in the League. Gerrard's most prolific season for Liverpool came in 2008-09 as he helped propel his side to second place in the League- finishing only four points behind Manchester United but with a much superior goal difference. Gerrard underwent minor surgery on his groin at the start of the season, however he recovered quickly and went on to net his 100th career goal for Liverpool on 1 October 2008. The goal came in the shape of a well-executed free kick in a 3-1 victory at Anfield over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. On 10 March 2009, Gerrard made his 100th appearance for Liverpool in Europe when Liverpool hosted Real Madrid. Gerrard netted twice as he inspired Liverpool to a memorable 4-0 win. Gerrard formed a famous midfield partnership with Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano as Liverpool made a strong push on a first League title in 19 years. On 14 March 2009, Gerrard netted a penalty as Liverpool hammered rivals Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford and followed this up six days later with a hat trick against Aston Villa in a 5-0 win. Gerrard was Liverpool's top scorer for the season with 24 goals in 44 games, including 16 goals in the Premier League. Gerrard's exploits this season prompted France legend Zinedine Zidane to proclaim: "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but yes, I think he might be." On 13 May 2009, Gerrard was named the Football Writer's Player of the Year. Again, Gerrard signed a four year deal to tie himself to Liverpool until 2013. Unfortunately, the 2009-10 season proved to be a big disappointment for Liverpool as they failed to capitalise on their second-place finish in the League the season before and fell to seventh. Gerrard was a regular in the first team, but seemed unable to produce the same standard of performances that had so often seen him almost single-handedly win matches in the prior seasons. His goal tally halved- finishing with 12 strikes from 49 appearances. He did achieve a personal milestone however on 5 December 2009, making his 500th appearance for Liverpool in a 0-0 draw away to Blackburn in the League. After the season, manager Rafa Benitez was replaced by Roy Hodgson and Gerrard expressed his excitement that the club could regain their place at the top end of the table in the 2010-11 season. Gerrard's form improved this season, however he was restricted to just 24 appearances due to injury. On 19 September 2010, Gerrard netted a brace away to Manchester United that looked like earning the Reds an unlikely draw having been trailing 2-0, however United hit back to seal a 3-2 win. On 4 November 2010, Gerrard came off the bench in a Europa League tie against Napoli to net a 15-minute hat trick and seal a 3-1 win for the Reds. With Liverpool's League form still faltering, Roy Hodgson was replaced as manager by Kenny Dalglish. In Dalglish's first game in charge- an FA Cup tie away to Manchester United on 9 January 2011, Gerrard was sent off for diving in rashly on United midfielder Michael Carrick. On 6 March 2011 in a home tie against Manchester United, Gerrard sustained an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Gerrard again had an injury-disrupted season in 2011-12. A chronic groin injury kept Gerrard out for the beginning of the season. Gerrard made his return to the side on 15 October 2011 in a match against Manchester United. Gerrard netted a second half free kick as Liverpool drew 1-1. Soon after however Gerrard developed an infection in his ankle, which kept him out on the sidelines again. He made his return on 26 December 2011, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Blackburn. Four days later, Gerrard netted an impressive finish to seal a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United, taking the ball into the box and, from a tight angle, expertly slotting between the legs of Newcastle 'keeper Tim Krul. On both 11 and 25 January 2012, Gerrard netted a penalty against Manchester City as Liverpool beat their wealthy opponents 3-2 on aggregate in the League Cup semi-final. Gerrard went on to help his side claim their first piece of silverware in six years with a penalty shootout victory over Cardiff in the League Cup Final on 26 February 2012. On 13 March 2012, Gerrard scored a memorable hat trick in the Merseyside Derby against Everton, sealing his side a 3-0 win. Gerrard then helped his team reach the 2012 FA Cup Final, however he was unable to prevent opponents Chelsea claim a 2-1 victory. Gerrard began the 2012-13 season reaching two personal milestones. On 9 August 2012, he scored his 150th career goal for Liverpool in a 3-0 home victory over FC Gomel in the Europa League- a goal which also made Gerrard only the third Liverpool player to have scored in 14 consecutive seasons for the club, after Billy Liddell and Ronnie Whelan. Gerrard then reached 250 League games as Liverpool captain in the season opener away to West Brom on 18 August 2012. Unfortunately the match would not be one for Gerrard to remember as Liverpool suffered a 3-0 defeat. On 23 September 2012 Gerrard netted his first league goal of the 2012-13 season, opening the scoring in the 46th minute in a 2-1 loss to Manchester United. The occasion was particularly poignant as it was Liverpool's first home game since the release of the Hillsborough files. On 4 November 2012, Gerrard made his 600th appearance for Liverpool but had to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw vs Newcastle. On 9 December 2012, Gerrard netted an own-goal but stayed on the winning side in the 3-2 victory over West Ham. Playing style Gerrard combines a great passing ability, drive, shooting prowess and a good tackling ability meaning he is sometimes referred to as the complete midfielder. He is often seen running from box-to-box, creating chances for himself and others, but also coming back into his own half to help defend. It is this ability which has led to him scoring a great number of goals, as well as assisting many, throughout his years at Liverpool. He is often referred to one of the best complete midfielders in his generation. Honours Liverpool F.C. *FA Cup (2): 2000-01, 2005-06 *League Cup (3): 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12 *UEFA Champions League (1): 2004-05 *UEFA Cup (1): 2000-01 *FA Community Shield (2): 2001, 2006 *European Super Cup (2): 2001, 2005 Individual *FWA Footballer of the Year: 2009 *PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006 *PFA Young Player of the Year: 2001 *PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2001, 2009 *PFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 *FA Premier League Player of the Month: March 2001, March 2003, December 2004, April 2006, March 2009 *Liverpool top goalscorer: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09 *UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2005 *UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2005 *UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2007 *FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2009 *Standard Chartered Player of the Month: 1 (March 2012) *FA Cup Final Man of the Match: 2006 *Goal of the Season: 2006 *England Player of the Year: 2007 *No. 2 on 100 Players Who Shook The Kop (2006) Stats External links * *Steven Gerrard's profile on liverpoolfc.com * Video Gerrard's first goal for the club, versus Sheffield Wednesday DVpdPe65pPg Gerrard's goal versus Manchester United in the 2003 League Cup Final Zt_xEjvJzPY Gerrard's goal versus Olympiakos AvMfq4OGnRc Gerrard's goal versus West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final vD80XYD1FvU Gerrard Gerrard